The Savior
by Laguna's twin sister
Summary: How did Squall survive on his first battle with Edea? Is Laguna involved with it?


The Savior

Disclaimers: I don't own any of these characters and they belong to Squaresoft so don't sue me. 

Author's notes: This is the first Laguna fanfic I've written and finished and I hope I didn't screw up. I got this idea during the end of disc 1. It was my first time to play then and at that time Squall's hp was only 90 or something and I was surprised that he didn't die. (I almost freaked out…) This idea just came from the deep recesses of my crazy mind. So enjoy! 

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_The Savior_

_By Greta Loire_

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"We're almost there..." Irvine said exhaustedly while aiming his gun at the target… Sorceress Edea. They had been fighting her for hours now, after his failed attempt to assassinate her. Rinoa continued to cast her healing spells in an effort to lessen their pain while their leader; Squall Leonheart continually unleashed his feared limit breaks. 

"We can't give up…" Squall muttered as he wiped away the blood that escaped from his mouth. Like the other two, he was also tired. He had received some wounds from his fight with Seifer earlier and now he was overly exhausted… but he swore never to give up. It was his mission to defeat her and he had no other plans than to carry it out. 

"Squall, I think… I think she's… she's slowly getting weaker…" Rinoa said in between gasps. She noticed the Sorceress' unflappable face suddenly wince and took it as a sign.

"Insolent fools… you can never beat the sorceress… You are no match for my powers…" Edea smirked and raised her hand to form a ball. "Playtime's over… Here brave SeeD, please accept my gift…" A sharp evil ice stick formed in her hand and quickly flew to the young SeeD's direction. It was all so sudden that he didn't have a chance to avoid it with his fading strength. 

"Squall! No!" 

"Looks like I won again Mr. President." Kiros grinned as he brought down his last card. 

"Man! I lost again! Darn it!" Laguna Loire said exasperatedly and hung his head low. He and his buddies were playing triple triad the whole evening since they had nothing to do in the palace. 

"You're getting old Loire…. But come to think of it you were never good at cards." Kiros playfully chided with Ward giggling silently behind him.

"Oh shut up!" Laguna sighed as Kiros chose what card he would take from him this time. "It's just that I ain't feelin' that well today." 

"Want to play another game? Looks like Ward wants to give it a shot." Kiros stopped as he saw Laguna's form stiffen. 

The president suddenly touched his chest discreetly, like he was in pain. His friends almost did not notice it until he let out a soft gasp.

"Hey Laguna, you feeling ok?" Kiros asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Yeah… I'm feeling ok… I guess I'm just a little tired…" the president replied, trying not to worry his friends. He then got up and headed to the door. "I guess I need to go to my room and…"

"Laguna!" 

The two ministers of Esthar quickly jumped out of their seats and ran to their fainting friend. Ward got there just in time to catch Laguna before his head hit the floor. They laid him down carefully in the floor and tried to wake him up but to no avail. 

"Call the doctors quick! The President had fainted!"

"Zis is bizarre… Ve cannot detect ze reason why he fainted." The doctor Odine said as he looked at Laguna's records. "His vital signs were all ok zis morning during his check up."

"But Ward is right! That was this morning and this is now. What's wrong?" Kiros asked exasperatedly. 

"Vell, I think zis is stress related… But then he was not showing any signs of weakness until now."

Ward went to his friend's side. Laguna was still unconscious and he was wincing as though he was in pain. He was lying down on his bed with his shirt slightly opened. Then he saw something…

"What is it Ward?" Kiros went to the bed himself and looked. Laguna had a wound in his shoulder and the skin around it was color pink. "It looks like a burn…an ice burn to be exact." 

"Let me zee zat." The doctor shoved the two off and looked at it himself "Vhere? I cannot zee it!"

""Whoa! I could've sworn it was there a while ago! Ward saw it too didn't you?" the other man just nodded.

"Hmmm… Must be stress… Ve do not know for sure… Ze two of you better get some rest too. I've already given ze President some medicine. If he won't come to tomorrow, let's zee vat we can do…" Dr Odine made his way out the door. "I should research about zis…"

"Ward, do you think it's the faeries?" Kiros asked his friend and scratched his head. 

Ward just shrugged and glanced at his friend once more. ~I hope Laguna would get better. It's not like him to just faint. I guess he had pushed himself to his limit lately. ~

"You're right Ward." He replied and went out the door with Ward following him. "Get well soon buddy." He said and closed the lights. 

A figure in white approached Squall as he his consciousness was quickly slipping away. He cannot see anything else but darkness around him and this white thing that was approaching him. 

"Who…who are you…?"

The woman sat down on the ground beside him. "Shhh … It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." She said with a small smile as she bent down and brushed a lock of hair away from his face. 

Her presence felt comforting so Squall just lied down there and did nothing. He felt that his shoulders were burning and his whole body felt tired. He didn't know what was going to happen now and there was nothing he can do about it so he just closed his eyes and tried to rest.

The woman gently put her hands under his head and laid it on her lap. Then she continued to caress his forehead gently. "Yes try to rest now Squall. Everything's going to be all right."

He tried to open his eyes again to look at the woman who was caring for him at that moment. He managed to open it halfway and saw her. His vision was a little blurry at first but after some time, it cleared and she saw a pair of familiar blue eyes looking kindly right back at him. She looked like an angel with long brown hair that was fixed neatly by a yellow headband, flowing past her shoulders. She was smiling lovingly at him and this made him feel secure. She gently put her free hand on his shoulder. 

"You still haven't answered my question… Who are you…?" he whispered weakly. 

"You would know at the right time…" She replied with a smile as her hands went up to gently caress his face again. "Sleep now dearest." 

He wasn't in the mood to argue so he just complied. He closed his eyes again and rested. After sometime, the pain on his shoulder was gone. 

The woman just continued to look at him quietly for the next minutes. Just when he was about to fall asleep, she laid him down on the floor again. "I have to go now Squall, I still need to visit your silly father and see how he's doing." She bent down and kissed his forehead. "Just remember that I'd always love you and I'm always watching over you from above." With one last look, she got up and left

She entered the lonely room quietly through the window. At last, after 17 long years, she had seen him this close again. Raine Loire went to her husband's bedside and sat there, just looking. His features almost did not change though the black hair that was spread around the sheets had streaks of white, signs that the great Laguna Loire is getting older. And there was something in him that looked different. Maybe all his experiences and duties made him like this. After all, he was carrying a whole city, almost a continent on his shoulders. 

She still remembered those nights when he just lied down on his bed and talked to her. He told her everything he wanted to. She knew that he must've felt weird sometimes just talking to thin air. But what he didn't know was that she always listened… from above. He talked about the silliest things that it made her want to laugh sometimes. But then his innocence and kindness made her all the more proud of him. He always wanted to reach out to people and he was not the type to turn anyone down. Even though some people say that he's 'moronic' she still believed that her husband is one of the wisest men on earth… this is why Esthar is in good hands. 

He always told her how much he missed her, how he loved her still. It made her blue whenever he broke down and cried when he was all alone in the dark room, with no one to see him… or so he thought.

This was like one of those nights, but this time, it's different. Now she can 'almost' touch him, now she can see him closer. The 'big boss' granted her this chance to see him. Ever since she died, she decided to look after the two most important men in her life, and also the little girl she used to take care of. Unknown to them, she was partly the reason of these 'oddities' that are happening between her husband and son. 

Years ago, Laguna shared with her his sincerest wish. He wished that their child wouldn't bear the same pain than he used to. He wanted their child to be loved and cared for. She knew very well that he would do anything to protect their child and keep 'him' from harm. He was willing to give up his very life for the people he loved… his 'son' included… if only he knew he existed. 

'How can I reach him, to make him see me?' she thought silently as she looked at her sleeping husband, wincing in pain. She then touched his head and focused. She's going to reach him in the only way she could think of… through his dreams. 

"Kiros? Ward? Where are you?" Laguna shouted in the middle of the darkness. He had been there for some time now and he didn't know what was happening anymore. Suddenly, he saw something so bright that he had to cover his eyes. When he opened them again, he realized that he was now standing in a grassy field with the wind gently blowing around him.

"Laguna…" she said from behind him, her melodic voice making him jump in surprise. 

He blinked several times and realized it was real… Raine… His beloved Raine was here….

"Raine!" He gasped as he turned and saw her. 

"Yes… It's me Laguna…" She approached him, her white gown touching the grass. 

Laguna stood there, dumbfounded. He still cannot believe what he's seeing. He only realized that he was crying when Raine's hand touched his face and wiped away his tears. "You're really here..?"

She just smiled sweetly at him. "I don't have much time Laguna… I…" She stopped when he took her in his arms in a warm embrace. He held her tightly and she felt the longing and emptiness inside him. "Laguna…"

He felt her arms embracing him back. How he had waited for this to happen again… 18 long years… Had it been that long? She had so much to tell her… How much he loved her, how much he missed her, how … how sorry he is…

"Raine I'm…" she realized what he was about to say and put a finger on his lips to shush him. 

"It's all right my love… you don't have to say anything. We don't have time for that now." She gently brushed his hair away from his face. "I can't stay long…"

He then nodded and embraced her tightly again. "Please… just let me have the chance to hold you now…"

She grinned and laid her head on his chest as she stroke his back comfortingly. "Laguna, I just came here to tell you… why you're having those injuries all out of nowhere."

His embrace loosened a little bit, willing him to look at his wife closely. He then gave her a questioning glance.

"It was partly my fault… I… I'm sorry."

"It's ok my love… I deserve much worse after all that I have done…"

"No, it's not that… It's connected to the thing you wished for, years ago, the thing you prayed to Hyne."

He thought for a moment but nothing entered his head. "I… don't… remember…" he admitted and cursed his memory.

Raine fought the urge to tell him everything now but she couldn't. By doing that, she might alter what was supposed to happen. They might learn of the things that only fate wanted to decide for them to know. "Well… I was the one who helped in executing that wish. I'm sorry but I can't tell you what it is…"

He looked at her with puzzled eyes and then shrugged it off. "Whatever it is, I trust you Raine. I would do anything for you, you know that."

She then replied with a smile and touched his face. "I love you Laguna, always remember that." With that, she walked away and left him.

"Stop! Raine! Please don't leave me alone again! Please…" he shouted as he desperately ran to her direction.

"I am always with you… even though you can't see me." She said with a smile and slowly faded away. 

"Raine! No! Raine! I Love you!" he shouted desperately, hoping she heard it.

Raine just couldn't bear the sight. Her poor husband was crying in his sleep. She wanted to make him happy… now she was almost guilty of what she had done. 

"…. I love you…." He murmured as silent tears continued to fall down from his eyes. 

"I'm sorry Laguna…" She whispered and bent down, kissing his lips the best way a spirit could. "I'm always with you…" With one last glance, she turned and walked away.

Laguna's eyes fluttered open suddenly and he touched his lips. 'Could it be? Was it all a dream?' he thought as he sighed sadly. But then something caught his eyes. Something bright was shining through his window. He got up and ran there as fast as he could. 

"Raine…"

He saw a big bright star twinkling at him. 'No… It was real… She was there… She's always there…' he thought as a smile crossed his lips. He walked back in his bed and lied down. He didn't feel any pain anymore. 

"I love you Raine." He murmured and then closed his eyes. Just then, raindrops fell from the sky carrying a message with them.

"I love you too Laguna…"

THE END

Author's Notes: Ok! Cool! You've reached the end! I know it's confusing and it ended quickly. Well, did you ever hear of the saying that parents tend to share their child's pain? (It's more common to twins… it's something like their 'connection') I know it's more to the mother than the father but then Raine's dead so that leaves everything to Laguna. Besides, he did wish to Hyne that it happened right? And it's somehow my explanation as to why Squall didn't die on the parade when Edea threw the ice thing on him. Why did Squall see his mom and Laguna didn't? Well, let's just say Squall was delirious at that time so Raine had 'better access'. (Besides, don't you think it's sweet that his mom is still watching over him from afar?) So anyway, thanks for reading! All your comments, criticisms, death threats, or whatever (no viruses, cookies and chain letters please) will be welcome. Just send them to [gretutay@yahoo.com][1] Thanks again! 

   [1]: mailto:gretutay@yahoo.com



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